The present invention is directed toward a compress and more particularly toward a compress which can deliver either hot or cold, wet or dry temperature treatment to a person's body.
The invention is particularly useful for treating injuries such as those which may occur during participation in athletics or the like. Depending on the nature and location of the injury and the personal preferences involved, it is sometimes desirable to utilize a cold compress and sometimes desirable to utilize a hot compress. Furthermore, whether the compress is hot or cold, it is sometimes necessary that the same be kept dry. On the other hand, it is often desirable to treat the body portion with both the hot or cold temperature and moisture.
Numerous devices have been proposed in the past for applying heat or cold to a body part. Such devices are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,678,936 and 3,610,307. Similarly, prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,441,282 and 1,576,488 show that it has been proposed to provide devices which can apply wet compresses to a body part. Both of these patents show an ice bag which is comprised of a porous fabric material which allows water from the melting ice to pass therethrough.
While individual devices have been proposed in the past for providing either hot or cold, wet or dry temperature treatment to a body part, no one device known to Applicant has ever been proposed which is capable of selectively supplying all of these. As a result, it has been necessary, heretofore, to maintain more than one such product on hand.